1 Corinthians 3:1And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

I have always found it funny to watch adults speak with babies and children. I have watched powerful men of ministry and merchandise get on hands and knees, sit on the floor, and say the silliest sounds to little children. Images of hearing these men from the pulpit and watching these men in their industry indicate they are no-nonsense individuals. Yet the moment you see them cooing and babbling with the infant at the baby’s level, you recognize though they could communicate with great oratory and official tones, they are communicating at the level the hearer understands.

Paul too, wanted to communicate to the church in spiritual tones but could not because they were carnal. He found them even as spiritual babes. Many a church has adults who are chronologically grown up, but spiritually infants because of carnality. Paul spoke to them at their growth level.

They were adults by age but they were infants by their attitudes and actions. They had attitudes that were carnal and their actions were infantile. Verse three defines their carnality. Amongst them were envying, strife, and divisions among them. These were the indicators of their spiritual growth.

Many church members today need to be spoke to as babes because of their carnal and infant ways. Are you prone to envy of another believer’s accomplishments, abilities, and associations? Are you given to struggling with fellow believers over prestige, possessions, and preferences? Do your words, works, and walk as a believer unite or divide people’s allegiances and associations?

If you answered, “yes” to any of the above questions, let me speak “baby talk” to you for a moment, “Grow Up!” Do you have the tendency to lean toward carnal behavior? “Grow Up!” We have enough carnal believers and babes in our churches today. Lay aside these things and “Grow Up!”